2011 Perth Royal Show:
Show Bag Brief Report
School of Sport Science,
Exercise and Health
HEALTH PROMOTION EVALUATION UNIT
Background
In conjunction with the Perth Royal Show organisers, in 2008
Healthway began investigating the nutrition environment at
the Perth Royal Show. This focus on nutrition at the Show
was an extension of Healthway’s previous work with this
venue to promote a smoke-free environment. Findings from
the 2008 audit of food and beverage Vendors at the Show
indicated a high proportion of outlets offered unhealthy
options and that there were limited healthy options available.
Further, in 2009, a survey of patrons found that there was
considerable support for plans to increase the number of
healthy options at the Show (Ferguson et al. 2010a), and in
2010 a majority of patrons indicated they would like more
healthy food options to be available at the venue (Ferguson
et al. 2010b). As a result of these findings, Healthway
implemented the “Yum” healthy food promotion initiative at
the 2011 Perth Royal Show. The initiative was the first step in
working with Vendors at the Show to increase the provision
of healthier foods across the Showgrounds. The results of
the Yum evaluation are presented elsewhere.
To ensure a comprehensive view of the Show nutrition
environment was being captured, since 2010 the Health
Promotion Evaluation Unit (HPEU) has expanded upon
the Vendor data collection activities to include the
investigation of patrons’ show bag attitudes and purchasing
behaviour. Show bags are widely promoted prior to the
Show’s commencement and during the Show week, and
are available for purchase in many locations across the
Showgrounds. The majority of show bags contain typically
unhealthy food products; this additional source of unhealthy
foods and the potential for further increases in caloric intake
both at the Show and once patrons leave the Showgrounds
is important to the overall measurement of the food
environment at the Show.
In 2011, HPEU built on the data collected in 2010 by further
investigating show bag attitudes and purchasing behaviours
during the 2011 Show week.
The specific aims of the study were to:
ÌÌ Investigate how many show bags patrons purchase /
intend to purchase,
ÌÌ Identify the recipients of the show bags purchased by
patrons, and
ÌÌ Investigate patrons’ attitudes toward food-based show
bags.
Method
In both 2010 and 2011, data were collected as part of an
internal intercept survey of adult patrons (2010 n=205, 2011
n = 247). The surveys included items relating to patrons’
purchasing of food-based show bags, their attitudes to the
provision of these at the Show and various demographics.
Field officers randomly approached adult patrons while
walking throughout the Showgrounds. Potential respondents
were verbally briefed on the purpose of the study by
trained interviewers and invited to participate. Upon their
agreement, participants provided verbal consent to
participate. The interviewer then administered the intercept
survey.
Analysis
The data were analysed using SPSS for Windows (Version
19). A descriptive analysis was conducted on all purchasing
behaviour, attitude and demographic items. Chi square and
one-way ANOVA analyses were conducted to assess any
differences in behaviour and attitude variables by gender,
age group, socio-economic status (SES) and past-week
fast food consumption status. SES was only calculated for
2011 respondents as postcode data were not collected in
2010. Where applicable, the 2011 results were merged with
results from 2010. Ethics approval to conduct this study
was granted by the University of Western Australia Human
Research Ethics Committee.
Key Findings
Demographics
As displayed in Table 1, a total of 452 patrons completed
the surveys in 2010 and 2011. Approximately half of the
respondents were female (56%) and had consumed fast
food in the previous week (48%). Around two-thirds of
respondents were aged 25-59 years (70%) and were
classified in the ‘high-mid’ or ‘highest’ SES categories (65%;
2011 respondents only). A significantly higher proportion of
respondents reported consuming fast food in 2011 (52%)
compared with 2010 (42%, p<0.05). In 2010, significantly
more respondents were aged 15-24 years (23%) and 25-39
years (42%) compared with 2011 (15-24 years 9%, p<0.05;
25-39 years 24%, p<0.05) and significantly fewer were aged
40-59 years (34%) and 60+ years (0%) compared with 2011
(40-59 years 41%, p<0.05; 60+ years 26%, p<0.05).
Show bags purchased / intention to purchase
When asked if they had purchased or had intentions to
purchase food-based show bags, most respondents (59%,
n=272) indicated they had/did (2010 62%, 2011 59%).
Respondents aged 60+ years were significantly less likely
(37%) to report purchasing or an intention to purchase
show bags compared with younger respondents (40-59
years 56%, p<0.01; 25-39 years 66%, p<0.01; 15-24 years
66%, p<0.01). No significant differences were observed by
gender, year, SES or fast food consumption status.
As shown in Figure 1, most respondents indicated they
had intentions to purchase or had purchased a show bag
(59%), and almost one half of all respondents would have
purchased multiple show bags (49%) by the end of their
day. No significant differences were observed by gender,
age group, year, SES or fast food consumption status.
Table 1: Respondent Demographics of the Entry Survey,
Internal Survey and Total
2010
(n=205)
2011
(n=247)
Total
(n=452)
%
%
%
Male
45
43
44
Female
55
57
56
23
9
16
25-39 years
42
24
32
40-59 years
34
41
38
60+ years
0
26
14
Gender
Age Group+
15-24 years
Fast food
consumption status+
Fast food consumed
42
52
48
No fast food
consumed
SES
58
48
52
Lowest
n/a
14
14
Low-mid
n/a
21
21
High-mid
n/a
32
32
Highest
n/a
33
33
missing values excluded;
+ mean differences is significant at
p<0.05
Figure 1: Number of food-based show bags purchased or
intended to purchase over 2010 and 2011 (n=452)
Most respondents indicated
they had intentions to purchase
or had purchased a show bag
(59%), and almost one half of
all respondents would have
purchased multiple show bags
(49%) by the end of their day.
Overall, approximately two-fifths of patrons purchased
show bags for themselves (40%) and two-thirds purchased
them for children (67%). Some variation was apparent
between the years with regard to the intended recipients
of the show bags, with significantly more respondents in
2010 compared with 2011 reporting the show bags were
for themselves (2010 50% vs 2011 30%, p<0.01) or friends
(2010 24% vs 2011 10%, p<0.01). A significantly higher
proportion of respondents reported the show bags were for
children in 2011 (74%) compared with 2010 (59%, p<0.05)
(Figure 2).
A significantly higher proportion of respondents aged
15-24 years reported the show bags were for themselves
(80%) compared with older age groups (25-39 years 34%,
p<0.01; 40-59 years 27%, p<0.01; 60+ years 32% p<0.01)
and significantly fewer 15-24 year olds (22%) reported
they were for children compared with older age groups
(25-39 years 80%, p<0.01; 40-59 years 75%, p<0.01; 60+
years 64%, p<0.05). Significantly more respondents in the
‘high-mid’ SES group (20%) reported they purchased show
bags for friends compared with those in the ‘ow-mid’ group
(0%, p<0.05). No significant differences were observed by
gender or fast food consumption status.
*Significant at p<0.05
**Significant at p<0.01
Figure 2: Recipients of food-based show bags in 2010 and
2011 (n=272)
statement ‘I usually buy the types of food that are offered in
show bags’ than were older age groups (15-24 years 62%
vs. 40-59 years 36%, p<0.05; 15-24 years 62% vs. 60+
years 27%, p<0.01; 25-39 years 44% vs 60+ 27%, p<0.05).
No significant differences were observed by gender or SES.
Significant differences were observed by age group among
respondents in agreement with the statement ‘I feel obliged
to buy show bags for the kids’. Respondents aged 1524 years (24%) were less likely than older respondents
to agree with the statement (25-39 years 65%, p<0.01;
40-59 years 59% p<0.01), however respondents aged 60+
years (39%) were less likely to feel an obligation to buy
show bags for children than were those aged 25-39 years
(65%, p<0.01) and 40-59 years (59%, p<0.01). Further,
a significantly higher proportion of respondents in the
‘low-mid’ SES group (66%) reported agreement with the
statement compared with those in the ‘highest’ SES group
(40%, p<0.01). No significant differences were observed by
gender or fast food consumption status.
Attitudes toward the role of food-based show bags differed
by gender, with significantly more females (93%) than
males (83%) in agreement with the statement ‘Show bags
are a once-off treat’ (p<0.05). Further, respondents aged
15-24 years (73%) were significantly less likely to agree with
the statement than older respondents (25-39 years 95%,
p<0.01; 40-59 years 90% p<0.01). No significant differences
were observed by fast food consumption status or SES.
Approximately two-thirds of
patrons purchased show bags
for children (67%) and twofifths purchased them for
themselves (40%).
Attitudes towards food-based show bags
Patrons responding to the 2011 survey were asked their
level of agreement with a series of statements relating to
food-based show bags. As shown in Figure 3, the majority
of respondents (87%) agreed with the statement ‘Show
bags are a once-off treat’ and over half (52%) agreed
with ‘I feel obliged to buy show bags for the kids’. Most
respondents disagreed with the statements ‘Food-based
show bags are good value for money’ (67%) and ‘I usually
buy the types of food that are offered in show bags’ (62%).
Figure 3: Level of agreement with statements relating to
food-based show bags (n=247, 2011)
A significantly higher proportion of respondents who had
consumed fast food in the previous week compared with
those who hadn’t agreed with the statement ‘I usually buy
the types of food that are offered in show bags’ (consumed
fast food 48% vs. not consumed fast food 25% p<0.01).
Younger respondents were more likely to agree with the
The University of Western Australia
The majority of respondents
(89%) agreed that food-based
showbags are a once-off treat
and most respondents aged
between 25 and 59 years of age
agreed they felt obliged to buy
them for children.
Health Promotion Evaluation Unit
School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health
The University of Western Australia
M408, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009
Tel
+61 8 6488 5608
Fax
+61 8 6488 1039
[email protected]
Webwww.sseh.uwa.edu.au/about/research/hpeu
Conclusion
Suggested citation:
Overall, the results of this study suggest that most
respondents had purchased or intended to purchase show
bags and almost half would have purchased multiple show
bags by the end of their day at the Show. In general, older
respondents were less likely than younger respondents to
report purchasing show bags.
Ferguson R, Pettigrew S & Rosenberg M. Perth Royal Show 2011: Show bag brief
report. Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, School of Sport Science, Exercise and
Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, 2012.
Most respondents reported they had purchased show bags
for children and two-fifths purchased them for themselves.
Younger respondents were more likely to report that the
show bags were for themselves, and fewer reported they
were for children compared with older aged respondents.
Overall, patrons did not believe food-based show bags to
be good value for money or foods they would typically buy.
However, many felt obliged to buy them for their children
and they largely believed show bags to be a once-off treat.
Younger respondents and those who had consumed fast
food in the past week were more likely to report regularly
purchasing the foods contained in show bags, and middle
aged respondents and those in the ‘low-mid’ SES category
were more likely to feel obliged to buy show bags for
children. Finally, although the large majority of men and
young people viewed food–based show bags as a once–off
treat, males and younger respondents were less likely than
females and older respondents to agree with this statement.
References
Ferguson R, Mills C, Rosenberg M and Wood L. 2009 Smoke Free Perth Royal
Show: Smoking & Nutrition Intercept Survey. Health Promotion Evaluation Unit,
School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, The University of Western
Australia,Perth, 2010(a).
Ferguson R, Mills C, Rosenberg M and L Wood. 2010 Smoke Free Perth Royal
Show: Smoking policy and behaviour brief report. Health Promotion Evaluation
Unit, School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia,
Perth, 2010(b).